Wasn't the whole point of this cross-merging of not only the Windows UI but the underpinnings of the os meant to bring functional parity between the various Phone/RT/PC devices at some point? Surely it wouldn't be much effort to implement these across all Windows platforms unless, of course, Microsoft is just acting with their usual incompetence. It would seem that, if the end is to bring each platform into line with the other, there'd be no better time to start doing that than now.

...if you start with the known assumption that you're going to be supporting more than one hardware platform. For example, Linux and the BSDs all support a HUGE range of hardware platforms. The amount of architecture specific code is less than 5% in those cases.

Yet Microsoft seems to have failed to do so in this instance for no really good reason. What is mind boggling to me is just how badly Microsoft seems to be at it these days, given how good they used to be at it. Anyone else fondly remember the early versions of NT on the DEC Alpha chipset? :-)

It all starts out with Microsoft wanting to be paid for active-sync support from Google.

Microsoft thought Google would not pull plug on it. Right Microsoft you don't have market share in phones worth bugger all so Google has no problem pulling it since 90+ percent of the market support webdav. Malice to get money and Stupid it not be aware you are not sitting in a location where you can bargain.